Moravian Hangs On To Best Gettysburg 59-56

December 08, 1985|by JOHN JAY FOX, The Morning Call

You can rest assured that changes will be made after last night's 59-56 Moravian victory over visiting Gettysburg. The Greyhounds stumbled their way to a Middle Atlantic Conference win, and coach Jim Walker has to wake his team up to the fact that the well has run dry for the normally guard-happy 'Hounds.

"We are not a guard oriented team as we have been in the past," Walker noted of a program that normally oozes with standout ballhanders. "You saw what we did . . . turned the ball over, failed to work against the zone and didn't help out bringing the ball up.

"We had a lot of trouble with the pressure, and a couple of long passesthat we made should never have been thrown . . . the guards were stuck with the ball.

"We are a different kind of team, and have to have everyone handle the ball."

Moravian showed a variety of colors during the 40 minute event - from a lackluster unit in the early going, to a freshman dominated contingent that built a substantial lead, to a club that was bothered by Gettysburg's physical play, and finally to a haphazard troupe that attempted to give the game away.

A turn-around in the lane by Mike Dougherty at 14:45 gave Moravian a 10-4 lead, and the 'Hounds carried a comfortable margin into the middle of the period until going cold from the floor.

Chris Erb took advantage of the spell, pulling the Bullets to within 16-14 on three straight scores, but John Morris banged home a follow-up, and Jim Dargati added four points to push the 'Hounds to a 26-16 lead.

Scores by Bernie Ivin set the numbers at 30-21, and Erb closed out the first half scoring with a long jumper as Moravian left the floor with 34-23 cushion.

Ivin, Morris and Steve Neikam kicked Moravian to a 48-33 lead with 12:30 left to play, but Gettysburg's physical play soon cut into the difference.

Tony DiMatteo buried a pair of free throw at 10:29, Jeff Fisher tallied from the corner 30 seconds later, and Gettysburg was within nine. Moravian momentarily stemmed the surge, but six points by Fisher off the inside game dragged the Bullets to 56-51.

Wes Tyeryar garnered a steal, Erb hit the bucket for a 56-53 margin, and Tyeryar failed to convert a one-and-one after another theft by the Bullets.

Dougherty answered for Moravian with a pair of charity tosses with a minute left, and Jeff Fisher capped a three-point play with 39 ticks left. The clubs were just two apart.

A Scott Hoke free throw, and poor shot selection by the Bullets, insured the win.

"We lost our composure because the game got physical," Walker would say later. "My only complaint was with the officiating . . . that they let the game get out of hand.

"We won the game, but you can be sure that we'll do a better job handling the pressure and preventing the turnovers in the future."

Morris finished with 14 for the (2-1) 'Hounds, as Irvin added 12 and John Naphor 10. Erb and Scott Douglas each ended with 22 points for (1-5) Gettysburg.